THE INNER MOUNTING FLAME

Inner Mounting Flame is a masterpiece of jazz fusion and a testament to the virtuosity of the Mahavishnu Orchestra for all time. It is also a truly progressive album, with the fusing of unusual music styles, complex time signatures, and sustained instrumental effort on all its tracks. John McLaughlin seems to be a fountain of energy, never letting up on his frantic twelve string electric. Jerry Goodman's violin gives a unique sound to the otherwise standard rock instrument set and is an integral part of the music, not just a audio gimmick. Jan Hammer and Rick Laird on piano and bass, respectively, keep underlines going that are harder than most mainstream melodies and are given chances to break out into the spotlight. And Billy Cobham provides some of the most incredible, time-signature defying, manic precision ever heard on precussion. The band's members work as a team, their awe- inspriring talents combining to be more than the respective parts. The album starts off very well, with a firey opener in Meeting of the Spirits. Dawn is also good, but pales in comparison with its followup. Noonward Race showcases drums and guitar in a way that almost seems proto-prog-metal, and for the 1970's it is simply mind- boggling. A Lotus on Irish Streams, as the title suggests, is a slower-paced blend of Celtic and Oriental that is very pleasing to the ear. Vital Transformation is almost, just as good as, or better than Noonward Race, in the same vein of proto-prog-metal and in an unusual 9/8 signature. The Dance of Maya, You Know You Know, and Awakening round out the album in an excellent fashion, but can't repeat the brilliance of the previous three tracks. I highly recommend Inner Mounting Flame to any listener of progressive music. Even for those who do not typically like the jazz-fusion sound, it has the qualities of skill and passion that transcend genres. This album gets the highest possible rating. 5 stars.